Arcola Theatre announces new programming for their Autumn season

Photo credit: Lidia Crisafulli

Having celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of their annual opera festival Grimeborn this summer, the Arcola Theatre, have announced new programming for their forthcoming Autumn season with returning Arcola collaborators: New Earth Theatre Company, Philip Ridley, b*spoke theatre company and Frank McGuinness.

The season opens with the previously announced world premiere of Kyo Choi’s The Apology, in association with New Earth Theatre and The North Wall, which begins performances on 15 September, and runs until 8 October. The production, based on true accounts from survivors of the ‘comfort women’ of the Second World War, is directed by Artistic Director of Oxford’s The North Wall Ria Parry, and stars Ross Armstrong, Jessie Baek, Sarah Lam, Kwong Loke, Sharan Phull and Minhee Yeo.

Next in the line-up is Philip Ridley’s award-winning darkly comic play The Poltergeist, following a critically acclaimed digital run at the Southwark Playhouse. This production, presented by Arcola and Flying Colours Productions, reunites the original company with Wiebke Green directing Joseph Potter, playing from 12 October-5 November.

The season concludes with the London premiere of b*spoke theatre company’s Dinner With Groucho, a new play from Tony Award-winning Irish writer Frank McGuinness. The production will make its world premiere at The Civic, Tallaght, as part of this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival, touring to The Mac as part of Belfast International Arts Festival, Oxford Playhouse and then Arcola Theatre. Loveday Ingram directs Ian Bartholomew as Groucho Marx, Ingrid Craigie as Proprietor and Greg Hicks as T.S. Eliot. Dinner With Groucho opens at Arcola Theatre, which previews from 17 November and runs until 10 December.

Artistic Director of Arcola Theatre, Mehmet Ergen, said: “We are so pleased to announce our Autumn season, welcoming back New Earth Theatre with their powerful and relevant play, Arcola favourite Philip Ridley, and b*spoke theatre company with long-time Arcola collaborator Frank McGuinness. There is something for everyone at Arcola this Autumn and we are immensely proud to be working with such an extraordinary team of creatives.”

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